Cavitation pump



ct. 26, 195 H. F. BUDZIEN 3,214,149

CAVITATION PUMP Oct. 26, 1965 H, F. BUDZIEN 3,214,149

CAVITATION FUMP Filed June 29, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United StatesPatent Office 3,214,149 Patented Get. 26, 1965 3,214,149 CAVITATEON PUMPHugo F. Budzien, Beloit, Wis., assigner to Beloit iron Works, Beloit,Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed June 29, 1960, Ser. No. 39,479 4Claims. (Cl. 261--29) The present invention relates to an improvedmechanism for generating high energy impulses in a fluid.

The invention contemplates providing an impeller rotor divided intosections and each section having impeller blades with the areas of therotor between the blades being solid. A housing provides a chamber inwhich the impeller rotor rotates and has a plurality of inlets andoutlets arranged around the periphery of the chamber in a housing. T-herotor will generate high energy impulses in the liuid and can be drivenat a speed so that cavitation is created at the inlets to enhance thegeneration of impulses. Air may be bled into the housing sectionsbetween inlets and outlets. The housing may be surrounded with a shroudand arrangements made to connect each of the inlets and connect each ofthe oulets for obtaining directional flow.

A feature of the invention is the provision of a mechanism of the abovenature which is well adapted to numerous uses and is especially welladapted to use as a iiow blender for a paper mill head box to reducelump formation and enhance distribution of fibers. The device is alsowell suited for other uses and can be employed in the field in bodies ofwater to separate silt and moss into fine particles to move into deeperwater and keep beaches clean. With the addition of air it may be used toprevent bodies of water from freezing. With increased speed and power itmay be employed to destroy weeds and harmful fish. The mechanism mayalso be employed in industrial and domestic cleaning.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide an improvedmechanism which is capable of creating high energy impulses in fluid andcan be readily adapted to directional flow for use as a pump.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of the typedescribed for generating high energy impulses which is of a simplifiedconstruction and can be made by modifying existing turbine type pumps.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism forgenerating high energy impulses in liquid and which can be used toaerate the liquid.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a high energyimpulse creating mechanism of simplified design which is mechanicallydriven and is adaptable to a wide range of uses.

Other objects and advantages will become more apparent with the teachingof the principles of the invention in connection with the disclosure ofthe preferred embodiments thereof in the specication, claims anddrawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational View of a mechanism for creating high energyimpulses in fluid constructed in accordance with the principles of thepresent invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially alongline II-II of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a partial sectional view on an enlarged scale takensubstantially along line III--III of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken through a pump illustrating amodified form of the invention; and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along line V-V ofFIGURE 4.

As shown on the drawings:

The unit illustrated at in FIGURES 1 through 3 produces a high energyimpulse in fluid when immersed therein, and the unit 11, shown inFIGURES 4 and 5 is adapted to directional flow so as to both create ahigh energy impulse and act as a pump. For convenience of reference, theunits 10 and 11 will each be referred to as a pump.

The pump 10 is driven by a motor 12 connected to the pump by a drivemeans within a drive housing 13.

The pump 10 includes a housing 14 formed of housing .parts 14a and 14bheld together by bolts 15. The fhousing is hollow so as to form a pumpchamber 16 therein in which is located a rotor 17.

As illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3, the rotor 17 is provided withimpeller blades 18 around the peripheral edge with the blades providinggenerally circumferential facing impulse creating surfaces 19. Thesesurfaces are effectively created by cutting grooves in the rotor 17leaving a reinforcing web 17a of material between the blades 18. Theblades and the impulse creating surfaces` 19 are arranged incircumferentially spaced sections or groups 20 with the rotor areabetween the sections being without blades or impulse creating surfaces.Preferably, the areas 21 between the rotor sections 20 are filled so asto be substantially the same diameter as the outer diameter of theblades 18. A convenient method of making the rotor is to utilize aturbine type pump rotor and block out the spaces between the blades inthe areas between the sections. The spaced sections provide anintermittent liow in the form of pulses or waves which cause a vibrationin the iiuid flowing through the chamber so as to create an impulse ofsubstantial energy in the delivery of the rotor.

The pump housing is preferably immersed in the iiuid and the housing 14is provided with inlets 22 and outlets 23 which preferably extendradially through the housing to communicate with the chamber 16. Theinlets 22 and outlets 23 are arranged in sections with each inlet andoutlet together defining a housing section 24. The chamber 16 within thehousing may be arranged. so that an enlarged flow space 2S is providedbetween each inlet and outlet of a housing section 24. Flow betweensections is substantially prevented by radial housing webs 14C.

The rotor is driven in rotation and at `certain speeds in accordancewith the temperature and conditions of the fluid being pumped it ispossible to cause cavitation which will add to the produced vibration orimpulses to a substantial degree making the unit more effective. Toprevent damage by the cavitation, the r-otor should be of stainlesssteel, or may be of rubber molded on the rotor or plastic. Thesematerials can also be applied to the housing and rubber shaft bearingscan be used for the shaft driving the rotor.

The rotor 17 is supported on a shaft 26 which is drivingly connected tothe motor by a connection 27. The shaft is supported in ball bearingassemblies 28 supported in a tubular hub 14d of the housing 14. A Huidseal 29 prevents leakage of the liuid pumped into the bearing area ofthe hub. The drive housing 13 includes a tubular outer shell 3l) mountedover the housing hub 14d and sealed thereto by annular members 31 so`that the housing can be immersed.

It will of course be recognized that a motor 12 may be employed whichhas a waterproof housing so that the entire unit may be immersed.

Air can be bled into one or more sections of the housing to aerate thefluid, and for this purpose a port 31 is located, as illustrated inFIGURE 2, to bleed air into the housing chamber 16 between the inlet andoutlet ports. The port is shown as provided with a tube 32 of lead to anatmospheric source of air. In the pumping of water, the aeration of thewater will aid in the prevention of freezing.

In the arrangement of FIGURES 4 and 5 directional iiow is obtained sothat the fluid is both. pumped and given a high energy impulse orvibration. An inlet conduit means 33 is connected to each of the pumphousing inlets and an outlet conduit means 34 is connected to each ofthe pump housing outlets. For accommodating this connection, the pump ofFIGURES 4 and 5 which includes a rotor 17 and a housing 14 is providedwith inlets 22 which turn in an axially extending portion 37 to openfrom the axial side of the housing 14. Outlets 23 are selected to Openradially outwardly. An inlet manifold 35 is attached to the side of thehousing 14 and has a manifold chamber 36 which communicates with each ofthe inlet portions 37.

An outlet shroud 38 surrounds the housing 14' and provides an annularoutlet chamber 39 which communicates with each of the outlets 23. Thuswhen the rotor is rotated, fluid ows in the direction shown by thearrows from the inlet conduit means 33 to the outlet conduit means 34.

As a summary of operation, with reference to FIG- URES 1, 2 and 3, therotor 17 is rotated within the pump housing chamber 16 to generate animpulse in the fluid that flows from the inlets 22 to the outlets 23when the housing is immersed in liuid. Preferably the rotor is driven ata speed to create cavitation and the iuid is aerated by bleeding air inthrough a port 31 between the inlet 22 and the outlet 23.

In a preferred form, a larger number of rotor sections 20 are providedthan housing sections 24. In the arrangement illustrated ten rotorsections are provided and eight housing sections are provided.

With the directional ow arrangement provided in FIG- URES 4 and 5, theunit is used to deliver and mix paper stock in a paper making machine.The unit may be used for sewage aeration and reduction of solids topromote bacterial action. It may be used for cleaning in various fields,for weed control for streams and lakes, and for iish control. The unitmay be used for industrial or domestic cleaning and a small high speedunit may be employed in a container for a dishwasher, for example. At aselected frequency it may be used immersed in a bath for physicaltherapy for the treatment of parts of the body for relaxation and therelief of aches and pains.

Thus it will be seen that there has been provided an improved pump ofthe type described which is simple to construct and operate and iscapable of continuous reliable operation with good ethciency and minimumpower requirements, and which meets the objectives and advantageshereinabove set forth.

The drawings and specification present a detailed disclosure of thepreferred embodiments of the invention, and it is to be understood thatthe invention is not limited to the speciiic forms disclosed, but coversall modiiications, changes and alternative constructions falling withinthe scope of the principles taught by the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A mechanism for producing high energy impulses in a fluid comprising,

an annular housing having a chamber therein, a plurality of inlets and aplurality of outlets spaced radially outwardly of said chamber andcommunicating with the chamber through the circumferential wall of saidannular housing with each inlet and outlet together defining a housingsection with each housing section being of substantially the samecircumferential length,

all of said outlets opening throughsaid housing into a common openannular delivery zone outwardly of said housing, all of said inletsopening through said housing into said common annular delivery zone sothat the housing may be inserted bodily into a tank for creatingimpulses in iiuid in the tank with the same fluid flowing into theinlets and flowing out through said outlets,

a rotor in said chamber having impulse creating surfaces thereon withthe surfaces arranged in rotor sections and each rotor sectioncircumferentially spaced from adjacent rotor sections,

said rotor having a cylindrical outer surface with said impulse creatingsurfaces formed by recesses in said surface and the spacing between saidrotor sections being greater than the width of said recesses.

and means for driving the rotor at a speed to generate high energyimpulses in uid moving through the chamber.

2. A mechanism for producing high energy impulses in a fluid inaccordance with claim 1 wherein the spacing between said housingsections is greater than the spacing between said impulse surfaces andthere being a greater number of rotor sections than housing sections.

3. A mechanism for producing high energy impulses in a iluid inaccordance with claim 1 wherein means are provided for adding air to theuid discharged through said outlets.

4. A mechanism for producing high energy impulses in a fluid inaccordance with claim 1 wherein at least one air bleed port is providedopening into said chamber between an inlet and an outlet for mixing airwith the liuid discharged through the outlet.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,243,309 5/41Daman et al 259-96 2,248,459 7/41 Kiesskalt 116-137 2,280,272 4/42Sullivan 103-2 2,566,892 9/51 Jacobs 103-2 2,635,860 4/53 McLeod 259-962,730,067 1/.56 Schaufler 116-137 2,805,626 9/ 57 Pezzillo et al. 103-962,832,199 4/58 Adams 103-136 X 2,842,062 7/58 Wright 103-95 2,865,61812/58 Abell 261-93 2,875,988 3/59 Wysong.

2,882,149 4/59 Willems 259-96 2,944,802 7/ 60 Daman 261-93 2,961,96711/60 Meyer et al 103-96 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,047,176 12/58 Germany.

698,371 10/53 Great Britain. 534,090 10/ 55 Italy.

HARRY B. THORNTON, Primary Examiner,

1. A MECHANISM FOR PRODUCING HIGH ENERGY IMPULSES IN A FLUID COMPRISING,AN ANNULAR HOUSING HAVING A CHAMBER THEREIN, A PLURALITY OF INLETS AND APLURALITY OF OUTLETS SPACED RADIALLY OUTWARDLY OF SAID CHAMBER ANDCOMMUNICATING WITH THE CHAMBER THROUGH THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL WALL OF SAIDANNULAR HOUSING WITH EACH INLET AND OUTLET TOGETHER DEFINING A HOUSINGSECTION WITH EACH HOUSING SECTION BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAMECIRCUMFERENTIAL LENGTH, ALL OF SAID OUTLETS OPENING THROUGH SAID HOUSINGINTO A COMMON OPEN ANNULAR DELIVERY ZONE OUTWARDLY OF SAID HOUSING, ALLOF SAID INLETS OPENING THROUGH SAID HOUSING INTO SAID COMMON ANNULARDELIVERY ZONE SO THAT THE HOUSING MAY BE INSERTED BODILY INTO A TANK FORCREATING IMPULSES IN FLUID IN THE TANK WITH THE SAME FLUID FLOWING INTOTHE INLETS AND FLOWING OUT THROUGH SAID OUTLETS, A ROTOR IN SAID CHAMBERHAVING IMPULSE CREATING SURFACES THEREON WITH THE SURFACES ARRANGED INROTOR SECTIONS AND EACH ROTOR SECTION CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED FROMADJACENT ROTOR SECTIONS, SAID ROTOR HAVING A CYLINDRICAL OUTER SURFACEWITH SAID IMPULSE CREATING SURFACES FORMED BY RECESSES IN SAID SURFACEAND THE SPACING BETWEEN SAID ROTOR SECTIONS BEING GREATER THAN THE WIDTHOF SAID RECESSES. AND MEANS FOR DRIVING THE ROTOR AT A SPEED TO GENERATEHIGH ENERGY IMPULSES IN FLUID MOVING THROUGH THE CHAMBER.